Means for connecting parallel railroad-rails.



- E WITNESSES' V llgwofi i ,Q/ EBNEIN' HITE v; A, WHITE. MEANS ron -comq'rm'e PARALLEL RAILROAD RAILS.

Arrmouxon nun 111:0. 2.4, 19 7 899,3 Y Patented Sept. 22, 1908, y

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A fro/m5 rs V. 'A. WHITE, MEANS FOR CONNECTING PARALLEL RAILROAD RAILS,

ARPLIOATIOI FILED 1:30.24, 1907.

899,366; ratented Sept. 22, 1908. ,2 anus-inns;

.1. jl 6 I WITNESSES I Z v INVENTOR WW6 64 I VEHNUNAWHI'I'E ATTORNEVS UNITED OFFICE VFJRN ON A. WHITE, OF AL ICEVILLE, ALABAMA.

MEANS FOR CONNECTING PARALLEL RAILROAD-RAILS.

Application filed December 24, 1907.

"whereby tiey are held rigidly spaced apart at the required distance and separation of the rails is avoided.

The invention also includes means for connecting the meeting ends of railroad rails and holding them in rigid alinement.

The details of construction, arrangement,

and combination of parts. are as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in whichigure 1 is a plan view of a railroad track and ties with m improvement a plied. Fig.

' 2 is an enlarge vertical longitu mal section of one of the end portions of the apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a persaective view of, the same parts greatly reucedin'size. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the blocks or cufis detached. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the long brace and tie bar. Fig. 5 is a plan. view showing my invention as applied to extended rails, both at their meeting ends and intermediately. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an end portion of a short brace and tie bar.

:1: indicates ahned and juxtaposed railroad rails arranged parallel in the usual way, and y ties supporting the same.

My invention is an ap )aratus ap )lied to and connecting rails in tile spaces between the ties. a

A, A indicate blocks, and B a long brace and tie .bar extending between and detachably connected with them. The blocks A, A, mayfor convenience be termed cufl's or clas s, since they partly embrace the bases of t e rails x as shown. Each of the blocks or oufl's is provided in its inner side with re cesses ada' ted to receive, and in general conform to, t 1c bases of the rails :10, as shown. The upper ortions of the cuffs abut against the webs o the rails and also the under side of the heads of the same.

The brace and tie bar B extends through transverse openings provided in the central Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 22, 1008.

Serial No. 407,878.

portions of the cufl's A, A, as will be understood by reference to Fig. Screw bolts 0 are applied. for securing the cutls to the bar B, there eing two of the same inserted vertically through coincident holes in the bar in each cufl, and screw nuts being appliedto their threaded lower ends.

By providing a largernumber of holes in the bar B, it is obvious'that the cuffs may be adjusted thereon as re uired for a narrow or wide gage of track. he bar B is recessed as indicated by b, Figs. 2- and 4; that is to say, the upper side of tie B is grooved transversely to receive the rail bases.

It will be seen that by the invention de scribed, the rails composing the track are held perfectly parallel, separation or other lateral displacementbeing prevented both in straight )ortio-ns of the track and also in curves of the same. By this means derailment, wrecks, and consequent'loss of life, also loss of rolling stock, so frequentlv due to sn'eading are absolutelv prevented, while the saving in labor ordinarily required for repairing of the tracknnd rolling stock is very great. Further, much greater speed can be safely attained on curves than would be otherwise )racticable.

In Fig. 6, show a short bar B for connecting cuffs A A and a )plied to meeting ends of rails as shown in 1g. 5. Thus the .-bar B does not extend between the parallel rails cc asin case of the longbar B before described. There is a r b .b' between the recesses b, and said rib lies bet ween the ends of the rails which may be notched to receive the rib.

It will be observed that the. top surface of all the cuifs is cut away in such manner that I the flanges of the car wheels cannot come in cdntact with them. In n'actice, the length of the c fis in the direction of the rails may be about the same as the angle irons or fishplates now commonly employed. It is understood that the mortises and recesses in the inner faces of the cuffs are shaped or adapted to it tightly on the rail bases or flanges.

What I claim is:

1. The combination, with )arallel rails, of cuffs recessed. in their inner laces to receive the bases and webs of said rails, and provided with alined transverse openings, a brace and tie bar passing through. said dponings and provided in the upper side with a recess to receive the bases of the rails, and vertical screw-h0lts passing through cufis and bar oneach side of the rails for secur ng the cuffs to said her detachably, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with alined rail ends, of cuffs applied thereto on opposite sides, a

tie bar connecting the cuffs and having opposite recesses and an intervening Ilb which 10 separates the bases of the rails as shown and described.

VERNON A. WHITE. Witnesses:

T RQTHPLEY,

II. H. GARDNER. 

